Two ships, one with diesel on board, collide Saturday in Pascagoula

Two vessels collided Saturday morning near the VT Halter Shipyards and Chevron docks in Pascagoula.

The Coast Guard learned of the accident about 1:30 a.m. The Valaris, a 752-foot drillship, reportedly broke free of its moorings due to high winds and collided with the Akti, a bulk carrier ship, a Coast Guard press release said.

The Valaris was reported to have 580,000 gallons of diesel onboard, but there have been no reports of injuries or pollution.

Both vessels had only minor damage, with some damage to a pier.

Coast Guard Sector Mobile sent three prevention team members on Saturday morning to monitor the situation.

The channel was previously closed due to weather but will remain closed until the vessels are separated.

This story was originally published March 12, 2022 at 4:50 PM.